Balinese Style Book

STYLES OF BALIReference Book

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ContentsPhilosophy of Balinese Architecture......2Building Typology...................................4Interiors..................................................8Water Features......................................12Pavilions ...............................................16Gardens & Walls...................................18Bibliography..........................................20

The archetypal Balinese residence- from the humblest abode to the grand-est palace- reflects an ancient architec-tural tradition which has its origins, at least in part, in India.

Most often, the Balinese residence comprises a collection of low-profile pavilions set in a walled compound (pekarangan), surrounded by fruit trees and ornamental shrubs. Each building is placed on a low plinth and surmounted by a hipped roof clad with clay pantiles or grass thatch. Some structures are open-sided, while others are enclosed by masonry walls. Each building has a specific function.

Balinese Architecture

Philosophy of Balinese Architecture

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Architecture and Social Status Bali’s caste system has its origins in ancient India, but time and local circumstances have endowed it with a uniquely Balinese character. The dimensions of residential compound are carefully determined according to the owner’s caste. Size matters less than proportion. Only a raja may erect a square or nearly square compound where the difference in length between two sides is less than one unit of measurement. The merchant caste may build nearly square compounds, so long as the difference in the length of the sides is more than two, but less than four, units. Village headmen, however, need to allow for a difference of three units between the two sides. Regulations like these cover every social category or caste af-filiation.

Bale Gede Only members of the three aristocratic castes (triwan-gsa) in Bali are entitled to build themselves a Bale gede. It is an almost square building located on the eastern side of the compound, just below the enclosure for the family shrines. Twelve posts, often built of jackfruit timber or teak, support the roof and there may also be a couple of wooden platforms at the back for sitting or sleeping on. Typically, the bale gede is an open-sided structure with only a partial wall or wooded screens at the back of the wood-

en platforms. It is the only building in the compound, other than the family shrines, to have a pointed roof, all the other roofs being hipped. A pointed roof is associated with the idea of sacredness. The bale gede may be used for a number of activities. It is a place where women weavers set up their looms, where artisans practice their craft, where children play when it rains, and where people sleep at night. It also plays an impor-tant role in family rites of passage. These include the celebra-tions held 40 days after the birth of a child, the tooth-filing ceremonies for young girls, and marriage rites. The bale gede is also the place where the corpse is laid out following a death in the family. Considered a living organism, the bale is ac-corded consecration rights.

Gateways In terms of the degree of ornamentation and elabora-tion, there is little to distinguish the entrance to the com-pound of a commoner from that of a nobleman, although in the case of royal palaces the main gateways to the palace precincts are remarkable for their rich sculptures and ornate profile, which in many respects echo the entrances to temples.

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Building Typology

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Building Typology

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Interiors

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Interiors

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Iconography

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Water Features

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Water Features

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Pavilions

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Gardens & Walls

Beal, Gillian. Island Style. Jacob Termansen: Hong Kong: Periplus Editions, 2002.

Davison, Julian. Introduction to Balinese Architecture. Luca Invernizzi Tettoni: Hong Kong: Periplus Editions, 2003.

Francione, Gianni. Bali Modern. Luca Invernizzi Tettoni: Hong Kong: Periplus Editions, 2000.

Francione, Gianni. Bali Houses. Luca Invernizzi Tettoni: Hong Kong: Periplus Editions, 2002.

Helmi, Rio and Barbara Walker. Bali Style. New York: Times Editions-The Vendome Press, 1995.

Walker, Barbara and Jay Graham. Gathering Places. Singa-pore: Times Editions-Marshall Cavendish, 2005.

Wijaya, Made. Architecture of Bali: A Source Book of Tradition-al and Modern Forms: University of Hawai’i Press 2002.

Bibliography

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